We made have had a difficult start, but you can already see his tactical awareness is much better than Pardew's. He may have got it wrong at times this season, and we may have slipped up at times, but he has tried several different approaches and hasn't been afraid to switch it up. Even though we were dominated by Bournemouth, I really like the way he switch it to 4-5-1 later in the game. We were still getting battered, but he realised that that day really wasn't our day, and switched to a formation that made us a bit more comfortable and Bournemouth found it more difficult to break us down. He played 3 CM's in the middle and it took a lot of the steam out of Bournemouth. This is a good sign. We can win ugly, and have a manager that knows what to do in crisis situations. He didn't panic, he simply did the best thing to whether the storm, and I know we were lucky, but tactics did play a part towards the end. I thought he really played Thauvin at the right time. In a defensive formation, attacking on the counter. He did give Bournemouth problems and was probably the most promising route to getting the 2nd goal.
No he thinks it is along with many, however we are in my opinion just as **** as last season having spent 50 million. He got lucky against Bournemouth and he's under the illusion it was somekind of tactical masterplan? No not for me I suppose getting it right from the start would be too much to expect? In my opinion he has tp get better and fast. Don't get me wrong i like mclaren, but im not going to lie to myself.
This is what worries me. I tend to think that we are CB/LB/ball playing MF ..short of having a 'not too bad' team ..A few more and we might have a 'pretty damn ok' team But ..I have a niggle at the back of my head that we are ..like you said ..just as ****e. We aren't, but we might only be a tiny fraction better and hence ...still ****e, basically And Bournemouth papered over the cracks Nowt more to add
I am too Tash. See us getting better and playing good stuff. Much better than the footy we were lumbered with under Voldermort.
I agree with Tash. We are looking to play football in comparison to the garbage served up last season. Of course it hasn't been all plain sailing but given where we were starting from following Carver's spell in charge we are heading in the right direction. Also, we were never going to buy everyone we needed in the Summer as that would have been too many to get in one fell swoop. It is going to take time and January is going to be important with which new players will be brought in followed by an even more important Summer transfer window. This time next year will be the time to see how we are progressing but even then it will still be a work in progress. Results will hopefully soon follow but in the mid to long term it's the method and style which is more important to get right early on and then to build upon it.
I see a couple of similarities between us this season. We've both recruited managers who'll can keep us up by doing the necessary even though the quality of football won't always be pleasing on the eye. They'll both organise us and help us to get the simple things right. They've both got the ability to lay a solid foundation albeit they both can only take us so far. The other is both clubs blatantly stopped short of what was required in the window. Don't get me wrong, we've both made some very good signings but we've left areas which stop well short of the required standard. It's no good Short and Ashley only replacing part of the broken parts and expecting the engine to purr. If both clubs address the squad problems in January we've got a chance to finish the season safe and maybe we can both start dreaming of pushing on for once. January is going to be huge for both clubs.
Are you confident Ellis will spend Bri? I think Fat Mike will... but the 'spend' will be at least half funded by the sale of Sissoko. So in real terms I can't see us spending too much 'fresh money'. We shot ourselves in the foot in January. If we had bought in another CB and paid the money for Austin I think we'd be in a better place. I think where Allardyce excels is getting players who some think are over the hill... and squeezing an Indian Summer out of them for peanuts. He also seems to use the loan market well.
I don't really think his management has been any better or worse than Pardews to be honest. We are lingering down the foot of the table all said and done. We are playing some decent stuff at times, not so much at others. I mean, we barely got a kick at Bournemouth. The good thing is the fans seem to like Steve, as Pardew would have been royally slaughtered if he'd eeked out a 1-0 the way we did. Its a big thing because you need a united fanbase otherwise it all just becomes a bit toxic. I worry about his substitutions and tactical switches on what I've seen so far. You say he is not afraid to make changes, but he literally sits on his hands at times or crosses his fingers. Some of his subs have been weird. The good thing and by far the most important thing at any modern football club, he is being backed in the transfer market. The players we have bought have been a significant step up in quality from what we have bought before. If we now hold on to these young players, add defenders and actually build something, then his job will be a lot easier than his previous incumbents. Add in the fans liking him and we'll be alright. Not all doom and gloom, we just need to start getting results.
Think Big Sam is the better bet as a relegation saver. He has a more pragmatic approach and he has been there many times before. I like the way Steve tries to get us playing but I worry if he doesnt get enough points on the board by Christmas he might not have the right memtality for a season long relegation battle. Course it will come down to how much money each gets in January. I hope he now sees the wisdom of starting at the back and preferably spending it all there!
Agree with most of this. What divided the fanbase under Pardew was probably the violent and abusive behaviour. As Steve has yet to pop his swede onto that of another pro I have respect for him.
We've been playing more free flowing football, but I'm not sure you can describe it as looser fredor.
I believe that results are fairly important, I am sure you would not be happy to flow into the championship league
We're building some flood defences to protect against that particular flow. We've called the first part Sunderland.
